Review

Review Summary: While Blind Stare doesn’t bring anything new to the table, they sure know what they are doing.

Symphony of Delusions is the debut from Finland’s own Blind Stare. Who, you ask? Exactly… and that’s where the problem lies. They play, in a broad sense, melodic death metal which is nothing new coming out of Scandinavia. True as that may be, I’m telling you that there’s something special here, that has somehow flown under the radar for the past 6 years and still may not break into the mainstream with respect that they rightfully deserve.

Blind Stare incorporates a lot of different styles into their music, and one that is most notable is their symphonic overtones throughout Symphony of Delusions, which is to be expected just from reading the title of the album alone. When you splice down the album, it’s hard to even consider this release as just another melodic death metal release. There are many examples of black metal, power metal and even heavy metal… not only in the entire album, all can be present in just one song alone.

“Central Theory” is the first track on Symphony of Delusions and if the first 30 seconds of this song doesn’t pull you in, then you can stop while you are ahead. But I’ll bet you will still be listening. A lot of the guitar work is done with a “chugga chugga” style which is introduced right from the get-go. There are a few good solos thrown in as well. Sadly, if you’re looking for some technical guitar work, with intriguing solos then Blind Stare isn’t for you.

Eino’s singing is very comparable to what you would hear in most black metal with a raspy-like screech. But what you will also notice is the epic clean chants during the chorus’ and also some Kalmah-esque roars throughout the album as well. Mixing the styles of vocals is one notable factor in which they excel. “My Black Letter” is another good example of what Blind Stare brings to the table. While not the best song on SOD, your opinion can change rather quickly in the matter of seconds. The breakdown into the solo is phenomenal and almost not expected, but unfortunately it’s over in a hurry.

Old man looking out from the window
Tired face watching the sunset
Still holding the quill in his hands
He knows the story must be finished
- “Ender”

“Shotgun Symphony” is the undoubtedly the superior-to-all song on Symphony of Delusions. It is one of the longer, heavier and (at times) fastest songs on the album and is a prime example of everything Blind Stare has to offer with everything incorporated into this song that I aforementioned. There’s a nice guitar solo comparable to “My Black Letter” that really picks up the pace of the song and as the song is about to finish up you’ll hear a shotgun blast followed by a quick bass slide before the song kicks your ass all over again. As cheesy as it may sound, it actually fits rather well.

If you are a fan of symphonic elements then I recommend you check out “An Insane’s Diary Pt. II”, “Thornhearts”, and “Statues and the Worldends” as Zacharias work is some of the best I’ve heard in metal music. You will not be disappointed. But as a fair warning, if this is not your forte, then I would consider passing on Blind Stare as sometimes it can be overpowering.

When it all boils down to it, if you are a fan of the sound of Kalmah, Skyfire, Eternal Tears of Sorrow and/or older Children of Bodom then it would be an outright crime if you pass on Blind Stare’s Symphony of Delusions. It’s just too bad they don’t already get the credit they deserve.